A comparative study of the Melanesian Island languages

WHITSUNTIDE OR PENTECOST ISLAND

2. Pentecost Island is situated between 15"^ 23' and 16° S, lat.
and between 168° 4' and 168'' 14' E. long. It is about thirty-six
miles long and the greatest breadth is about ten miles. It was
discovered by Bougainville on Whitsunday, 1768. The native
name is **A Raga."

3. The language was first learned by Patteson from natives
at the north-western comer at Vunmarama. He printed two
galley-slips of words and sentences^, which formed the material
for a notice by Gabelentz in 1873^. Goodenough obtained a
vocabulary in 1875^. Thomas Ulgau, a native of Mota, was
landed as teacher in 1878. In 1882 his version of the Prayer
Book in Qatvenua was printed in Norfolk Island^. Codrington's
vocabulary and grammar were based on this and independent
notes^. Hagen and Pineau published a Ninebulo vocabulary in
1888^. The locality of Macdonald's Pentecost numerals is not
stated"^. I published vocabularies of Qatvenua in 1889® and
1893®, and in 1894 I received from the Rev. A. Brittain a longer
vocabulary.

4. Since Ulgau's translation other books have been printed
in the language of Northern Raga. They include the book of
Genesis ^^, portions from the New Testament ^^, St Luke's
GospeP^, and an enlarged Prayer Book containing most of the
Psalms ^^.

Some native stories are among Dr Codrington's mss., and

^ New Hebrides, Vunmarama, north end of Whitsuntide Island, Araga.

2 MSpr, 1873, pp. 42-50. ® Goodenough, pp. 352-354-

* Tataro gaha avoana ata Raga^ St Barnabas, Norfolk Island, 1882. Cf. ML,
p. 431.

5 ML, pp. 39-52> 431-441- * Etudes, pp. 308-319.

7 3 NHL, p. ss, « Ray, Api, p. 303.

' Ray, LNH, ^^ Datauleo ata ttiai, (Raga), 1908.

^^ Avoana vagahi, (Raga), Melanesian Mission Press, 1909.

" Girigiri non Luk huriles tavuha, (No title or date. Printed at Melanesian
Mission Press, 19 10.)

^3 Leon tofaro... Norfolk Island, 191 1.

RML 27

41 8 The North-eastern New Hebrides [pt

I have received others from the Rev, H. N, Drummond. To
the Rev. Dr Fox I owe a Mota-Raga (north end) vocabulary

by M. Tarileo.

Dialects

5. There is apparently little variation of dialect in Whit-
suntide Island, although the language at the south end is said
to resemble that of Ambrim. The following names appear:
Vunmarama and Loltavola at the northern extremity ; Qatvenua
at the north end; Ninebulo in the south. These are illustrated
by the numerals : (i) from v. d. Gabelentz, i.e. Patteson, (2) Cod-
rington, Brittain and Tarileo, (3) Hagen and Pineau. I have
added: (4) Macdonald's indefinite list.

Vunmarama

Qatvenua

Ninebulo

?

One

tea, tuwa

tea, tuwa

assia

tual

Two

Tua

rua

a lu

elu

Three

tolu

tolu

attieul

etol

Four

fasi

vast

afiet

eptet

Five

lima

lima

alitn

etim

Six

ono

ono

lussia

lowat

Seven

vitu

bitu, vitu

yelu

liplu

Eight

welu

welu

yetiul

liptol

Nine

siwo

siwo

yapat

lapat

Ten

hanwuij hanawul

hanvuluj navul

sianful

siamnok

These should be compared with the Ambrim on pp. 330,
331, and with the Lepers* Island and Maewo.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data

Ray, Sidney Herbert, 1858-1939.

A comparative study of the Melanesian Island
languages.

Reprint of the 1926 ed. published by the Cambridge
University Press, Cambridge, Eng.

Bibliography: p.

1. Melanesian languages. L Title.
i PL6201.R3 1978 499'.5 75-35151
ISBN 0-404-14166-8